TheGrill 2016: Michael Lynton Says Sony Will Not Be Sold to China’s Wanda — Or Anyone Else

Sony Pictures Entertainment CEO Michael Lynton said that his company is not for sale.

Especially not to the conglomerate that seems to be buying half of Hollywood, China’s Dalian Wanda Group.

In a keynote talk with TheWrap CEO Sharon Waxman at the 2016 edition of TheGrill, TheWrap’s annual entertainment and media conference at the Montage Beverly Hills, Lynton said that he does not see Sony as an acquisition target.

“No, I don’t think so,” Lynton said. “I don’t think my parent company has any interest at all in selling the company.”

He defended that stance by pointing out that Sony’s core business is “more about content and the delivery of content.”

“Look at the balance of the profits and revenues,” Lynton said. “Sony has said, Kaz [Hirai, the CEO of Sony Corp.] said, it’s integral to the company and they have no intention to sell.”

Lynton also spent some time during the morning keynote questioning Wanda’s approach to ownership in Hollywood, which has seen the company spend billions of dollars scooping up assets including Legendary Entertainment and, most recently, Dick Clark Productions.

“I don’t, right now, understand what the strategy behind that is,” Lynton said. “I understood when Sony and [others] first came in and bought American studios, there was a strategy, and now the strategy has changed.”

“I don’t really understand what the Chinese or Wanda’s strategy is in coming and purchasing a studio, or Legendary for that matter,” he continued. “China is probably the only country in the world that can have an industrial movie business the way the United States does — because there’s a big domestic market.”

Lynton said China could produce movies on an “industrial basis” that feed its large domestic market and export films made directly in China without having to go through the complications of making movies in the United States.

“Why buying Sony or Paramount or Warner or anybody else helps that effort, I don’t really understand,” he said. “You want to make [the movies] in China. I would argue … why not grow that out of China? You’re using a lot of other stuff made in China right now, I dare say.”

'Ghostbusters' First Look: Melissa McCarthy and Company Flaunt Their Blasters (Photo)

Sony released the first official image from Paul Feig's all-female reboot of "Ghostbusters" on Wednesday.
The film stars Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones as a team of paranormal investigators and eliminators.
The ladies are taking over for Bill Murray, Dan Akroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson, who starred in the original 1984 film. The original Ghostbusters will all have cameos in this film, except for Ramis, who passed away in 2014. Sigourney Weaver, who played Dana in the first two films, will also appear.

The reboot also stars Chris Hemsworth as the Ghosbusters receptionist, as well as Neil Casey, Andy Garcia, Michael K. Williams, and Cecily Strong.
"Ghostbusters" is due to premiere in theaters on July 15, 2016.
See the photo below.

'Incredibles 2' and 33 Other Movie Sequels That Took Forever to Hit the Screen (Photos)

Long-gestating follow-ups include blockbusters like "Jurassic World" and famous flops like "Blues Brothers 2000" and "Zoolander 2" -- that arrived more than a decade after their predecessors.

Harrison Ford returned for Denis Villeneuve's "Blade Runner 2049" a full 35 years after starring in Ridley Scott's 1982 sci-fi classic.

“The Odd Couple II” is among the sequels with the biggest gaps between films. Twenty-nine years after the 1968 original, Jack Lemmon returned as Felix Unger and Walter Matthau was Oscar Madison in their last film together.

Paramount

“Tron: Legacy” came 28 years after the original, and featured Jeff Bridges and Bruce Boxleitner. Shot in 3D, the film featured extensive visual effects and a score by Daft Punk. It grossed more than $400 million worldwide in 2010.

Greed was still pretty good in “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps,” which came 23 years after the original and returned Michael Douglas as Gordon Gecko and co-starred Shia LaBeouf.

Fox

Who says you can't go home again? Ewan McGregor's Mark Renton returned for "T2 Trainspotting" 21 years after the original film.

Fox

Sly Stallone wrote, directed and starred in 2008’s “Rambo,” which came 20 years after “Rambo III.” It was dedicated to the memory of Richard Crenna, who played Col. Sam Trautman in the first three films.

Lionsgate

Roland Emmerich's "Independence Day: Resurgence" invaded theaters fully two decades after his 1996 original -- and this time without Will Smith.

A full 20 years after "Dumb and Dumber," Jeff Daniels and Jim Carrey reprised their roles as dim-witted pals in 2014's "Dumb and Dumber To."

“The Last Picture Show” stars Cybill Shepherd and Jeff Bridges returned after 19 years for 1990’s “Texasville,” which unlike the original drama about small-town America, was shot in color.

Columbia

“Blues Brothers 2000” came 18 years after the 1980 original. John Goodman stepped in for the late John Belushi – John Candy and Cab Calloway also died before the sequel – but the film bombed.

Universal

“Live Free or Die Hard” might have arrived sooner than 2007, 16 years after “Die Hard with a Vengeance,” but it was delayed after the events of 9/11. In this one, Bruce Willis’ John McClane character battles cyber terrorists.

Fox

Sly Stallone wrote, directed and stars in 2006’ “Rocky Balboa,” the sixth film in the boxing franchise. It came 16 years after “Rocky V,” and featured the pugilist as widower, retired from the ring and running an Italian restaurant called “Adrian’s,” after his late wife.

MGM

Star Jack Nicholson and writer Robert Towne came back for 1990’s “The Two Jakes,” the followup to the 1974 noir classic “Chinatown.” Audiences didn’t however, and it flopped.

Paramount

The hapless Vermont state troopers from the Broken Lizard comedy troupe returned to the big screen in 2018's "Super Troopers 2" -- fully 17 years after the 2001 original.

Fox

Francis Ford Coppola delivered 1990’s “The Godfather Part III” 16 years after the series’ previous installment and closed the book on Michael Corleone. The director’s casting of his daughter Sofia drew fire; Julia Roberts, Madonna and Winona Ryder were also considered for the role.

Paramount

Sharon Stone reprised her role as Catherine Tramell in 2006's “Basic Instinct 2,” the sequel to the 1992 erotic thriller. But moviegoers weren’t turned on and it bombed.

Sony/Columbia

Pixar waited a full 14 years to bring the superhero Parr family back to the big screen in 2018's "Incredibles 2."

Writer-director Malcolm D. Lee waited 14 years before turning out “The Best Man Holiday,” a sequel to his 1999 ensemble comedy “The Best Man.” The timing was right: the sequel made $71 million on a $17 million budget.

Paul Hogan and Linda Kozlowski returned for “Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles,” which followed the original by 13 years. But the sequel didn’t have many g’days at the box office.

Paramount

Shirley MacLaine and Jack Nicholson came back after 13 years for “Evening Star,” the followup to 1983’s Best Picture Oscar winner “Terms of Endearment.”

Paramount

"xXx: Return of Xander Cage" came out 15 years after the original and 12 years after its sequel. The second film did not star Vin Diesel as Xander Cage, but he made his return in the third film, which grossed $20 million its opening weekend.

Paramount

The 2003 action film “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines” came 12 years after “Judgment Day” and was the last film for Arnold Schwarzenegger before he took over as California’s governor.

Warner Bros.

Writer-director Kevin Smith didn't plan on making a sequel to his 1994 cult hit "Clerks." But after 11 years -- and "Jersey Girl" -- he changed his mind.

Miramax

Critics took director Tobe Hooper to task for infusing too much black humor into the cannibal saga “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2,” which came a decade after the original 1974 slasher film.

Cannon Films

"Zoolander 2," with Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson reprising their roles, came out 15 years after the original. Hoping to reel in fans of the first film, the sequel only managed to gross $28 million.

Paramount Pictures

"My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2" is opening in theaters on March 25, 14 years after the original hit the big screen. It will be opening against box office behemoth "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" starring Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill.

Universal

"Finding Dory" is the sequel to 2003's "Finding Nemo," meaning it took 13 years for our fishy friends to come back to the big screen.

PIxar

"Bridget Jones's Baby" is hitting theaters a full 12 years after the last in the franchise and 15 years after the first film, "Bridget Jones's Diary." The 2001 original was a commercial and box office success, while its 2004 sequel "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason" scored measly reviews and has a score of 27 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.

Universal

"Barbershop: The Next Cut," the 2016 follow-up to 2004's "Barbershop 2: Back in Business," was the third movie in the franchise.

Warner Bros.

1 of 35

Pixar’s animated hit is the latest follow-up to arrive more than a decade after its predecessor

Long-gestating follow-ups include blockbusters like "Jurassic World" and famous flops like "Blues Brothers 2000" and "Zoolander 2" -- that arrived more than a decade after their predecessors.

Sony released the first official image from Paul Feig's all-female reboot of "Ghostbusters" on Wednesday.
The film stars Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones as a team of paranormal investigators and eliminators.
The ladies are taking over for Bill Murray, Dan Akroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson, who starred in the original 1984 film. The original Ghostbusters will all have cameos in this film, except for Ramis, who passed away in 2014. Sigourney Weaver, who played Dana in the first two films, will also appear.

The reboot also stars Chris Hemsworth as the Ghosbusters receptionist, as well as Neil Casey, Andy Garcia, Michael K. Williams, and Cecily Strong.
"Ghostbusters" is due to premiere in theaters on July 15, 2016.
See the photo below.

'Incredibles 2' and 33 Other Movie Sequels That Took Forever to Hit the Screen (Photos)

Long-gestating follow-ups include blockbusters like "Jurassic World" and famous flops like "Blues Brothers 2000" and "Zoolander 2" -- that arrived more than a decade after their predecessors.

Harrison Ford returned for Denis Villeneuve's "Blade Runner 2049" a full 35 years after starring in Ridley Scott's 1982 sci-fi classic.

“The Odd Couple II” is among the sequels with the biggest gaps between films. Twenty-nine years after the 1968 original, Jack Lemmon returned as Felix Unger and Walter Matthau was Oscar Madison in their last film together.

Paramount

“Tron: Legacy” came 28 years after the original, and featured Jeff Bridges and Bruce Boxleitner. Shot in 3D, the film featured extensive visual effects and a score by Daft Punk. It grossed more than $400 million worldwide in 2010.

Greed was still pretty good in “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps,” which came 23 years after the original and returned Michael Douglas as Gordon Gecko and co-starred Shia LaBeouf.

Fox

Who says you can't go home again? Ewan McGregor's Mark Renton returned for "T2 Trainspotting" 21 years after the original film.

Fox

Sly Stallone wrote, directed and starred in 2008’s “Rambo,” which came 20 years after “Rambo III.” It was dedicated to the memory of Richard Crenna, who played Col. Sam Trautman in the first three films.

Lionsgate

Roland Emmerich's "Independence Day: Resurgence" invaded theaters fully two decades after his 1996 original -- and this time without Will Smith.

A full 20 years after "Dumb and Dumber," Jeff Daniels and Jim Carrey reprised their roles as dim-witted pals in 2014's "Dumb and Dumber To."

“The Last Picture Show” stars Cybill Shepherd and Jeff Bridges returned after 19 years for 1990’s “Texasville,” which unlike the original drama about small-town America, was shot in color.

Columbia

“Blues Brothers 2000” came 18 years after the 1980 original. John Goodman stepped in for the late John Belushi – John Candy and Cab Calloway also died before the sequel – but the film bombed.

Universal

“Live Free or Die Hard” might have arrived sooner than 2007, 16 years after “Die Hard with a Vengeance,” but it was delayed after the events of 9/11. In this one, Bruce Willis’ John McClane character battles cyber terrorists.

Fox

Sly Stallone wrote, directed and stars in 2006’ “Rocky Balboa,” the sixth film in the boxing franchise. It came 16 years after “Rocky V,” and featured the pugilist as widower, retired from the ring and running an Italian restaurant called “Adrian’s,” after his late wife.

MGM

Star Jack Nicholson and writer Robert Towne came back for 1990’s “The Two Jakes,” the followup to the 1974 noir classic “Chinatown.” Audiences didn’t however, and it flopped.

Paramount

The hapless Vermont state troopers from the Broken Lizard comedy troupe returned to the big screen in 2018's "Super Troopers 2" -- fully 17 years after the 2001 original.

Fox

Francis Ford Coppola delivered 1990’s “The Godfather Part III” 16 years after the series’ previous installment and closed the book on Michael Corleone. The director’s casting of his daughter Sofia drew fire; Julia Roberts, Madonna and Winona Ryder were also considered for the role.

Paramount

Sharon Stone reprised her role as Catherine Tramell in 2006's “Basic Instinct 2,” the sequel to the 1992 erotic thriller. But moviegoers weren’t turned on and it bombed.

Sony/Columbia

Pixar waited a full 14 years to bring the superhero Parr family back to the big screen in 2018's "Incredibles 2."

Writer-director Malcolm D. Lee waited 14 years before turning out “The Best Man Holiday,” a sequel to his 1999 ensemble comedy “The Best Man.” The timing was right: the sequel made $71 million on a $17 million budget.

Paul Hogan and Linda Kozlowski returned for “Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles,” which followed the original by 13 years. But the sequel didn’t have many g’days at the box office.

Paramount

Shirley MacLaine and Jack Nicholson came back after 13 years for “Evening Star,” the followup to 1983’s Best Picture Oscar winner “Terms of Endearment.”

Paramount

"xXx: Return of Xander Cage" came out 15 years after the original and 12 years after its sequel. The second film did not star Vin Diesel as Xander Cage, but he made his return in the third film, which grossed $20 million its opening weekend.

Paramount

The 2003 action film “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines” came 12 years after “Judgment Day” and was the last film for Arnold Schwarzenegger before he took over as California’s governor.

Warner Bros.

Writer-director Kevin Smith didn't plan on making a sequel to his 1994 cult hit "Clerks." But after 11 years -- and "Jersey Girl" -- he changed his mind.

Miramax

Critics took director Tobe Hooper to task for infusing too much black humor into the cannibal saga “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2,” which came a decade after the original 1974 slasher film.

Cannon Films

"Zoolander 2," with Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson reprising their roles, came out 15 years after the original. Hoping to reel in fans of the first film, the sequel only managed to gross $28 million.

Paramount Pictures

"My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2" is opening in theaters on March 25, 14 years after the original hit the big screen. It will be opening against box office behemoth "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" starring Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill.

Universal

"Finding Dory" is the sequel to 2003's "Finding Nemo," meaning it took 13 years for our fishy friends to come back to the big screen.

PIxar

"Bridget Jones's Baby" is hitting theaters a full 12 years after the last in the franchise and 15 years after the first film, "Bridget Jones's Diary." The 2001 original was a commercial and box office success, while its 2004 sequel "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason" scored measly reviews and has a score of 27 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.

Universal

"Barbershop: The Next Cut," the 2016 follow-up to 2004's "Barbershop 2: Back in Business," was the third movie in the franchise.

Warner Bros.

1 of 35

Pixar’s animated hit is the latest follow-up to arrive more than a decade after its predecessor

Long-gestating follow-ups include blockbusters like "Jurassic World" and famous flops like "Blues Brothers 2000" and "Zoolander 2" -- that arrived more than a decade after their predecessors.

At a time of unprecedented change and shifting business models, the entertainment industry is hungry for thought leadership. TheWrap believes that the conversation about where and how entertainment will meet the challenge of the digital age needs to be centered in Hollywood.

Conceived in an effort to create a high level forum for discussing the transformational forces in our changing entertainment industry, TheGrill has brought together a community of leaders from across the entertainment economy from disciplines including media, entertainment, finance and technology.